2021-06-08 Planning & Environment Committee Meeting Agenda

PLANNING & ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA                                      8 JUNE 2021


8    NOOSA BIOSPHERE RESERVE FOUNDATION - NEW PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT
     2021-2025

Author            Environmental Services Manager, Craig Doolan
                  Environment & Sustainable Development Department

Index             ECM/ Noosa Biosphere Reserve Foundation - Management

Attachments       1.   NBRF Partnership Agreement 2021-2025


EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Not applicable.

RECOMMENDATION
That Council note the report by the Environmental Services Manager to the Planning & Environment
Committee Meeting dated 8 June 2021 and:
A.   Agree to enter into a 4-year Partnership Agreement with the Noosa Biosphere Reserve
     Foundation from 1 July 2021 as set out in Attachment 1 to the report;
B.   Authorise the Chief Executive Officer to make any minor alterations to the Partnership
     Agreement, as may be necessary, and enter into the Partnership Agreement with the
     Foundation.


REPORT
The purpose of this report is to propose a new four (4) year partnership agreement with the Noosa
Biosphere Reserve Foundation (NBRF).
Following a review of the existing governance model and a series of public consultations during
2014, Council established the Noosa Biosphere Reserve Foundation (the Foundation) and the
Noosa Biosphere Reserve Trust (the Trust) with the arrangements registered in February 2015. The
Foundation is managed by an independent board of volunteers with Council entitled to one
representative on the Board. Councillor Tom Wegener is the current Council representative on the
Board.
The Foundation is a registered charity with the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission
and is endorsed by the Australian Tax Office for tax concessions including GST, income tax and
fringe benefit tax rebate. The Trust and its public fund were entered onto the Commonwealth
Register of Environmental Organisations as of 27 April 2016, which was necessary to achieve
Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR) status. DGR status provides a tax deduction for donors who donate
to registered charitable organisations.
As part of the establishment of the Trust and Foundation in 2015, Council agreed to provide funding
support to the Foundation over a three (3) year period from 1 July 2015 with the Funding Deed
specifying that Council would consider future funding arrangements at the end of the initial 3-year
term. The original Funding Deed expired on 30 June 2018.
A new funding deed was endorsed by Council at the June 2018 Ordinary Meeting and commenced
on 1 July 2018. This deed expires on 30 June 2021.




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